I LOATHE ET. My sister took me to see it in the theater when it came out, as a treat, and instead I came out of it bawling and terrified that aliens were going to land in the vacant lot next door. I was in 3rd grade at the time, and I don't know anyone my age who liked it. Burn in hell ET!
ha ha ha - I was in second grade and I loved it. I remember crying because it was sad, but I was waaaay more scared of the govt people in the white hazmat suits than the aliens. Which actually, now that I think about, is the same for today me. #teamalien Maybe Spielberg was more formative on me than I knew!
I was too little for the theater, but when we watched it on betamax I ran sobbing from the basement when the government people showed up and refused to finish it. I think I finally saw the end/bicycle scene in my 30s?
I liked ET alright, aside from the scene where he's all gray and shriveled, that freaked me out. My (older!) brother however was so terrified of ET for so many years that he couldn't even handle hearing the movie's score. We were at a John Williams movie music concert once and he curled up in the fetal position and put his hands over his ears when a piece from the ET score came up. He only overcame his fear of ET as an adult because his children got to be old enough to mock him for it.
ET was the first movie my parents took me to - at a drive-in - age 4, and it scared the bejesus out of me. Still does. ET is terrifying, the shrink-wrapped house with the tubes is terrifying, the feds are terrifying, the anodyne suburban neighborhood is terrifying. It's bad bad bad.
Loved ET and Close Encounters. That’s it for me and Spielberg until recently when he did a remake of West Side Story. WHY?????? Kind of pissed me off. No need whatsoever to change a thing in the original
Agreed on all those points. When Mike Faist first showed up at Riff, I thought "who IS this person?!" So much charisma. Also the same reaction to Ariana DeBose.
Weirdly, Ansel Elgort had more chemistry with Rita Moreno than he did with Rachel Zegler!
Mike Faist is like...punch you in the face good in that movie, holy shit. I would have put him in the best supporting actor race. (Which was WEIRD that year. JK Simmons got nominated for that Lucille Ball movie that Nicole Kidman was in???) - J
Steve, Martin and Selena have been in London filming since May. Steve has been posting pictures. Heh, it took me until the pictures with Martin to figure out why he was there. Sadly, I didn't see any of them when I was there last month.
I did. I didn’t watch it as a kid, and I think that affected it, as it often does! I also really dislike The Goonies. (Not Spielberg, I know.) Come at me! -H
I'm a big fan of the podcast That Aged Well, which reviews tons of older movies (and a lot of new ones) and while I agree with them most things, I regret to share that they hated the Goonies, and concluded that it was because they didn't watch it as kids so it didn't imprint on them the way it did for others (including me). Anyway, it hurt my heart to listen them talk smack about those kids!
Did they do Breakfast Club? If so, what did they conclude? My 19 YO son liked it when he saw it last summer but it struck me as being awfully cringey now. The tropes really bothered me.
I watched it recently and like... it's great because I saw it Way Back When, but also, holy cats, it's problematic. That bit where Judd Nelson hides under the table and decides to put his face up Molly Ringwald's skirt?!? And we're supposed to think he's sort of charming???? Ally Sheedy getting that makeover? No no. -H
Molly Ringwald spoke about how she watched the movie with her (teenaged?) daughter, and she was like, "You end up with the guy who sexually assaults you?!"
Honestly, the entire John Hughes '80s teen movie oeuvre is kind of problematic. (I was an '80s teen and so saw them all either in the theater at the time or when they came out on video.) Sixteen Candles is particularly bad, as it has both sexual assault/consent issues and abundant racist tropes.
they haven't but they've done a bunch of other John Hughes movies and spoiler alert: they are uniformly problematic. but one of the things I love about the podcast is that they acknowledge how you could still love even problematic movies because you grew up with them and maybe they helped you in some way or another. The Breakfast Club** is one of those for me, in a way got me through the horror that was HS. So even though I still watch it, and I have watched it with my kids, I make sure to point out every terrible/not okay joke or moment (including, yes that part where Judd Nelson fully assaults Molly Ringwald. awful).
I used to love the Breakfast Club as a teenager, but the whole Judd Nelson/Molly Ringwald under the table bit is awful. The one I really hate is Sixteen Candles: wasn't much of a fan as a teenager either, but as an adult... terrible. The Prince Charming character pimps out his girlfriend to the nerd, and he's supposed to be the romantic hero! No. Plus, the racism.
The one I loved as a teenager and still really like is Some Kind of Wonderful.
I am pretty sure That Aged well covered all of these 3 movies.
Ohhhhhhhhh....I mean, I won't come at you, mostly because I would be scared to rewatch the Goonies now, for fear of losing my childhood love. Luckily, we all have our controversial movie opinions. I love The Goonies, but absolutely hate The Godfather (different Director, but point stands.... :-) )
I didn’t like the goonies at ALL as a kid but loved raiders and last crusade. I liked explorers which was a famous bomb but stars baby Ethan hawke and River Phoenix
I have never seen the Goonies, but I feel the same way about Top Gun. I had never seen it, and finally decided to watch it and the new one back to back, and couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about.
I have feelings about Top Gun. I didn't see it when it came out, though it was popular with my (teen) cohort because of the Tom Cruise of it all. I was a teenage peace activist in the Reagan "Evil Empire" '80s, so stayed away from the military rah-rah on principle. I wouldn't have seen it but for a film class I took in college, and *shrug*.
I watched Raiders a few years ago with my daughter and thought it held up pretty well. Also it's still legit terrifying when the faces melt. Very good special effects.
There are dozens of us who hate ET. My mother is STILL disappointed that I can't stand it. I love the 3 OG Indy movies, I think they're brilliant. Close encounters is mid, and Munich is art.
Hook is...a choice lol.
I think Jaws and Jurassic Park are like...so v v good.
Minority Report has moments of brilliance and is an interesting turn for him and I like Bridge of Spies. There were 10s of us that saw it.
.
Betty (Crocker) usually is sensible and that's why I like it. My mom has a cookbook from like the 60s and it's pretty reliable for sensible recipes. Not nearly as cute though!
I've never seen Jaws all the way through. When we were kids, we tried, and that first scene where the kid gets attacked by the shark and starts spurting blood, my sister and I both started screaming and that was that.
I feel like I saw Jaws under perfect circumstances. On a classic movie cruise, with Richard Dreyfuss talking about it (...before he became hella problematic), in a packed theater.
The one I haven't seen is Jurassic Park. Is it worth it? Everyone thinks it is great, but it looks SO cheesy from the trailers. I just feel like my cynical old lady self will not be able to surrender to the fun like a youngster would.
I loved ET. I was 11, and it was the perfect age to see it.
There are 2 of us? I have also never seen Jurassic Park.
I did watch the latest one, because I like Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey, and it wasn't terrible (put that on the side of a bus). I did laugh, because Bailey plays a paleontologist, so they put him in glasses to make him look less hot: it did not work.
Jurassic Park actually has...things to say about ethics and science and dinosaurs.
Jurassic World is...Big Dinosaurs. And Worst Chris. Take that for what it's worth.
Also the effects hold up pretty damn good for being basicallyy 30ish years old for JP. I love it a lot. Like a lot a lot. And the cast is stacked AF - Laura Dern, Richard Attenborough, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L Jackson, BD Wong, Wayne Knight...it's so good.
I'm obviously in the minority, but I saw Jurassic Park on a big screen with big sound when it came out, and I was...bored. I just found it kind of a slog, and while the effects were pretty great for the time, was unmoved.
Last year Jaws was back in theaters for its 50th and I saw it. It was SO GOOD on the big screen. 10/10, no notes, made me sad Jurassic Park wasn’t screened for its 30th (or if it was I missed it).
Also I loved Disclosure Day, but can also see how it would not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Jurassic Park was screened for its 30th! I took my kids and my son brought a friend along who'd never seen it - he loved it. JP is one of my favorite movies.
I will defend Hook till my dying breath. (Unlike Stephen Spielberg.) It's mostly because I had the VHS in my Kid-Kit to babysit (BSC, IYKYK) so the year I was 13 I probably watched it 25 times. But also I genuinely think it's good!!
I love (early-ish) Spielberg, so clearly I'm biased, but I looooooove Hook. It's delightful.
Ru-fi-oooooooo!
Also, someone has to say it: "Disclosure Day" is a terrible name for a movie. I almost don't want to see it BECAUSE of the name. And again, I like Spielberg.
If you ever get the chance to get your mitts on the Betty Crocker Dinner for Two book (the original one with the blue cover!) you will be similarly delighted by the insanely cute illustrations (by none other than Charley Harper). Because I am a huge fan of the 60s illustrated cookbook aesthetic, I’ve grabbed a few of these just to have. Sitting and reading my mom’s Betty Crocker cookbook on the couch, dreaming about all the dishes I’d make when I grew up and got my own apartment, is one of my favorite childhood memories. :)
I didn’t have the BC kids cookbook but I did have a red gingham (Better Homes & Gardens?) junior cookbook which had a recipe for ice cream sundaes! That was a staple in my childhood perusing.
For my own kids I bought a whole collection of kids’ cookbooks. I particularly loved the Julia Donaldson themed cookbooks. My daughter had a mug cake cookbook that honestly taught her more about following a recipe to get a result than any traditional cookbook — she loved getting a kid-sized cake all to herself. :)
My mom got a Betty Crocker Cookbook (the version in a three-ring binder) as a wedding present in 1955, and while she didn't use it all that much, the apple pie with crumble topping recipe is one I make to this day. It's so good, and everyone who has a slice always wants the recipe and is amazed it's a BC recipe. One year for Christmas I got the BC kids cookbook, and I made the sugar cookie recipes for quite a while. BC kind of has a bad rap, but the recipes are solid (if somewhat uninspired).
I agree that Betty Crocker gets a bad rap, but you’re right — they are great basics. For my family, the classic pancakes recipe was a go-to, and my dad also used the Dinette Cake recipe for pineapple upside down cake, and he was famous for his cinnamon rolls, which were also a Betty recipe! (Sweet roll dough, I think.) I still get the dinette cake recipe out and use it as a base for other cakes. And the cooky book is essential for Christmas baking. I have the reprint from about twenty years ago and it’s absolutely a treasured item. :)
The Cooky Book is a classic! My mom's was falling apart from so much use, so a few years ago we got her the updated version. I think she still uses the original a lot, if only to refer to the notes made over the years.
I saw "Disclosure Day" last night and I also thought it was mid, although I say that with the caveat that it also involved the absolute worst movie going experience of my life, in which three teenagers yelled, swatted at the person in front of them, ran in and out of the theater, and to top it all off, had conversations on their cellphones with another human while the movie played. It took three of us complaining to the manager, and the couple next to us leaving, before they were finally kicked out. Although I did get to hear "snitches get stitches" in person for the first time since my teaching days, so there's that. All of this is to say that the first third of the movie is a big blur.
I'm a Spielberg fan in the sense that he knows how to make a well-crafted film, and this one was no different. It was just so. damn. long. The plot was also thin, but it just went on forever and ever and ever, and I kept thinking, "When is this movie going to end?" Which is literally what the five-year-old in front of us said during "Return of the King" when it kept fading to black and starting up again. No fade to black here, but it took forever to get to the point, and I agree that I endured it more than enjoyed it. Also, the "hero" characters were all such annoying dingbats that I kept rooting for the bad guys to put them (and us) out of our misery. All in all, it was interesting idea, but it leaned too hard into the "disclosure" element and didn't have enough juice in the journey battery to make up for it.
EDITED: Emily Blunt's accent
I think if she weren't channeling a Girl Friday from the 30s, the accent wouldn't have been so noticeably bad.
-
I actually know who most of the WAGs are because I follow international soccer, and geeze--they all, minus Antonela Roccuzzo, who's looked like herself for the past decade+, have the same face :(. I'll also add that WAG culture in general has become gross, to the point that poor Declan Rice's wife(?), who wasn't really an influencer anyway, had to withdraw from social media because she was bullied for looking like a regular woman and not a contoured model, and had the gall to gain some weight after having a baby. On the other hand, his response was to tell his fans to f-off if they couldn't accept and respect the woman he loved. Go England?
-
Finally. I'm here for the "Common Goal" book club! It was my favorite of the non-Shane/Ilya books, but I still have plenty of notes.
I had a similar experience re: teens at the first showing of Project Hail Mary I went too. Mercifully, no running around, but plenty of phone usage with the screen brightness and texting notifications on full blast, plus roughhousing in the seats. Why, WHY, with movies so expensive these days, would you spend upwards of $15 on something you won't even pay attention to?! Just wait until it comes out on streaming and you can see it for free from the comfort of your own couch.
(Though I'm sure their parents paid for the tickets and dropped them off at the theater to get them out of the house. Sympathies but also if you want a movie to babysit your kids, then you need to teach them how to act right in public. Same goes for libraries, public pools, etc. My friends and I knew better at that age. Anyway, that's my old-person-yells-at-clouds rant for the day. *shakes fist at sky* TEENS!)
Cosigning your review of Disclosure Day, which my husband and I renamed Disappointment Day. I had hoped for much better; was ready for a summer blockbuster experience.
The vintage cookbook reminded me - did y'all ever watch Astronaut Wives Club? It was on ABC 10 years ago and while it wasn't a barn-burner of a show it was entertaining and an absolute joy to watch due to the costumes, decor, and vintage food featured at many of the get-togethers. I think there was a cheeseball porcupine at one point! At the time it sent me down a deep dive into retro recipes and kitchenware that I had a blast remembering.
I watched it and read the book, and enjoyed both. I wish they'd had a few more episodes for the show but they did get a lot of history jammed in there.
Yes, we binged it a few years ago. A nice solid series, and the changing costumes and sets as they go through the years were fun to notice. But now I feel like we missed the opportunity to make a cheese ball or a Jell-o salad to eat while watching.
I made a throw back recipe this weekend for my son's birthday party - jello poke cake . This was the birthday cake of my youth growing up in the 80s. It couldn't be easier, is light, and served cold. Refreshing for summer. My husband was dubious at first then immediately ate two pieces with a request that I make it again this weekend for Father's Day.
I have not seen Disclosure Day, but will probably wait for streaming. I love a lot of Spielberg - Raiders, ET, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Munich. I'm interested to see where this one falls for me.
It’s so simple. Make a yellow or white box cake in a 9x13 pan. When it’s done, let it cool. Poke holes with a skewer all over. Prepare the jello and pour into the holes. Refrigerate overnight. Frost with cool whip. I use strawberry jello but any kind will work.
ET is the first movie I ever saw in a theater, and I’ll never forget crying my eyes out when it looked like it was curtains for the wrinkly little guy. Maybe it’s due to this early experience, but I really love Steven Spielberg.
I didn’t get to go on it when my sister and I returned to Universal for the first time in maybe 20 years (with her husband and kids) because I had decided to get an airbrush tattoo and the artist really went for it😂
Maybe next time. If anyone’s going, the Mummy ride is FANTASTIC and has a great gift shop.
Same about ET. I was actually only three and a half when I saw it with my babysitter in the theater, but I loved it, and I begged to see it again when the movie ended. We did.
I also SOBBED in ET. I was bereft. I was also really scared of the Feds. (Relatable.) I maybe haven’t seen it since?? I was too little to see it maybe. - J
It's genuinely funny in the beginning, and then it takes a real turn. Also even as a little kid I was confused by Peter Coyote's character's whole deal in it, because he always comes off so handsome and reassuring, but then he is also one of the shadowy evil government agents.
One of the adults with their ominous keys! I had this vague feeling that he and the mom were going to fall in love. Maybe he's the one government agent with a heart.
I also saw it in the theater as a kid and just loved it. I still love it as an adult, and even thought I never cry at movies and I know how it ends, I still get upset during "that" scene.
I adored E.T. — saw it twice in one weekend shortly after it came out because bio father took me while I was visiting him and then mom & dad took me and my siblings (none of them bio dad’s) the day I got home. I sobbed *uncontrollably* both times. I was 13 and a verrrrry emotional type.
If you like the illustrations in that cookbook, you will LOVE the ones in “Mud Pies and Other Recipes” by Marjorie Winslow. I have my mother’s copy and they are the sweetest drawings. The recipes are adorable as well.
Are they filming Only Murders in London? Because that is an extremely British list of actors which makes me excited for the next season!
I love "Mud Pies and Other Recipes"! I tracked down a copy a few years ago and didn't realize just how many of the jokes/dead pan tone for many of the recipes went over my head when I was a kid- a bit like watching the original Muppet Show again now.
oh god, this just made me wonder...what dips do the British have? (apologies to the Brits on here, it just occurred to me it would be a very fun plot point if he had to deal with the lack of dips - not the disappearance of the dips as a character quirk like one season).
Oooh, as someone with an English husband, I sincerely hope they make fun of Marmite. It's more of a spread than a dip, and, in my opinion, revolting. They also have something called Salad Cream, which my MIL uses as salad dressing but Google says can also serve as a dip for fish! Branston Pickle and Pickalilli are sandwich spreads and really delish. May these all feature on the new season!
Dirty mind alert. I'm rather surprised that the "GAY PICNIC" page made it past the editors. Does it not look like the woman in the canoe is giving head?? (while flanked by her two children)
Edited to add: Ah, I just saw Heather's note at the bottom! Thank you!
There will be! There was a connection to London made at the end of the last episode, and they’ve been filming there for a while (Meryl and Marty were spotted at a restaurant together).
I LOATHE ET. My sister took me to see it in the theater when it came out, as a treat, and instead I came out of it bawling and terrified that aliens were going to land in the vacant lot next door. I was in 3rd grade at the time, and I don't know anyone my age who liked it. Burn in hell ET!
ha ha ha - I was in second grade and I loved it. I remember crying because it was sad, but I was waaaay more scared of the govt people in the white hazmat suits than the aliens. Which actually, now that I think about, is the same for today me. #teamalien Maybe Spielberg was more formative on me than I knew!
The government people freaked me out.
I was too little for the theater, but when we watched it on betamax I ran sobbing from the basement when the government people showed up and refused to finish it. I think I finally saw the end/bicycle scene in my 30s?
I was terrified of ET, so of course my sister loved it.
I liked ET alright, aside from the scene where he's all gray and shriveled, that freaked me out. My (older!) brother however was so terrified of ET for so many years that he couldn't even handle hearing the movie's score. We were at a John Williams movie music concert once and he curled up in the fetal position and put his hands over his ears when a piece from the ET score came up. He only overcame his fear of ET as an adult because his children got to be old enough to mock him for it.
ET was the first movie my parents took me to - at a drive-in - age 4, and it scared the bejesus out of me. Still does. ET is terrifying, the shrink-wrapped house with the tubes is terrifying, the feds are terrifying, the anodyne suburban neighborhood is terrifying. It's bad bad bad.
Also third grade, also hated it and felt traumatized by the government.
So, just like now, but with less reeses pieces.
but the aliens are not the bad guys! we are! the aliens just want to go home and also to eat reese's pieces!
I also HATE ET. Jaws and Raiders I love unabashedly, but ET can rot in that puddle.
Loved ET and Close Encounters. That’s it for me and Spielberg until recently when he did a remake of West Side Story. WHY?????? Kind of pissed me off. No need whatsoever to change a thing in the original
I agree that it didn’t need to be remade BUT I think the Spielberg version is really really beautiful. - J
I wish Tony was played by someone else, but I thought Rachel Ziegler was great, and Mike Faist as Riff was phenomenal.
Agreed on all those points. When Mike Faist first showed up at Riff, I thought "who IS this person?!" So much charisma. Also the same reaction to Ariana DeBose.
Weirdly, Ansel Elgort had more chemistry with Rita Moreno than he did with Rachel Zegler!
Mike Faist is like...punch you in the face good in that movie, holy shit. I would have put him in the best supporting actor race. (Which was WEIRD that year. JK Simmons got nominated for that Lucille Ball movie that Nicole Kidman was in???) - J
Excellent call on the best supporting actor nom — he was that good.
I completely forgot about that Lucille Ball movie!
ME TOO. It turns out that was a weird year. -J
Mike Faist should be way more famous, he was also excellent in Challengers, I thought.
Yes, I was expecting him to really blow up. Maybe he just hasn’t gotten the right part yet.
The chemistry between him and also excellent in everything Josh O'Connor was INCREDIBLE.
That cast list for Only Murders in the Building is SO MANY PEOPLE. Is the building now the Traitors castle!
I have yet to watch seasons 4 and 5 so forgive a stupid question but does this season take place in England? It must, right?
At least partially, yes! -H
Steve, Martin and Selena have been in London filming since May. Steve has been posting pictures. Heh, it took me until the pictures with Martin to figure out why he was there. Sadly, I didn't see any of them when I was there last month.
I want David Tennant to show up in OMINTB as Tony Baddingham from Rivals. Yes, a time machine would have to be involved, but I'm ok with that.
my vote would be for Crowley from Good Omens. I loved the way he swaggered around!
Richard Ayoade OMG. One of my many secret British husbands. Can't wait.
Have you seen Last One Laughing? It’s on YouTube. Reigniting my crush for sure!!!
You thought Raiders was mid?
Recognizing that I am one of those Spielberg teens, yes, that assessment hurt my heart.
I did. I didn’t watch it as a kid, and I think that affected it, as it often does! I also really dislike The Goonies. (Not Spielberg, I know.) Come at me! -H
I'm a big fan of the podcast That Aged Well, which reviews tons of older movies (and a lot of new ones) and while I agree with them most things, I regret to share that they hated the Goonies, and concluded that it was because they didn't watch it as kids so it didn't imprint on them the way it did for others (including me). Anyway, it hurt my heart to listen them talk smack about those kids!
Did they do Breakfast Club? If so, what did they conclude? My 19 YO son liked it when he saw it last summer but it struck me as being awfully cringey now. The tropes really bothered me.
I watched it recently and like... it's great because I saw it Way Back When, but also, holy cats, it's problematic. That bit where Judd Nelson hides under the table and decides to put his face up Molly Ringwald's skirt?!? And we're supposed to think he's sort of charming???? Ally Sheedy getting that makeover? No no. -H
yep exactly
That skirt scene would play SO differently today. I'd be calling the police on anyone who did that to my daughter.
Molly Ringwald spoke about how she watched the movie with her (teenaged?) daughter, and she was like, "You end up with the guy who sexually assaults you?!"
Omg yes. So problematic
Honestly, the entire John Hughes '80s teen movie oeuvre is kind of problematic. (I was an '80s teen and so saw them all either in the theater at the time or when they came out on video.) Sixteen Candles is particularly bad, as it has both sexual assault/consent issues and abundant racist tropes.
SO bad...
Still, my love for Ferris Bueller's Day Off endures.
they haven't but they've done a bunch of other John Hughes movies and spoiler alert: they are uniformly problematic. but one of the things I love about the podcast is that they acknowledge how you could still love even problematic movies because you grew up with them and maybe they helped you in some way or another. The Breakfast Club** is one of those for me, in a way got me through the horror that was HS. So even though I still watch it, and I have watched it with my kids, I make sure to point out every terrible/not okay joke or moment (including, yes that part where Judd Nelson fully assaults Molly Ringwald. awful).
**see also: Overboard. so good but so much yikes.
I used to love the Breakfast Club as a teenager, but the whole Judd Nelson/Molly Ringwald under the table bit is awful. The one I really hate is Sixteen Candles: wasn't much of a fan as a teenager either, but as an adult... terrible. The Prince Charming character pimps out his girlfriend to the nerd, and he's supposed to be the romantic hero! No. Plus, the racism.
The one I loved as a teenager and still really like is Some Kind of Wonderful.
I am pretty sure That Aged well covered all of these 3 movies.
I also liked Some Kind - that was Mary Stuart Masterson, right?
Yes, and Eric Stoltz, and whatsherface, from the Back to the Future movies.
Ohhhhhhhhh....I mean, I won't come at you, mostly because I would be scared to rewatch the Goonies now, for fear of losing my childhood love. Luckily, we all have our controversial movie opinions. I love The Goonies, but absolutely hate The Godfather (different Director, but point stands.... :-) )
I didn’t like the goonies at ALL as a kid but loved raiders and last crusade. I liked explorers which was a famous bomb but stars baby Ethan hawke and River Phoenix
I have never seen the Goonies, but I feel the same way about Top Gun. I had never seen it, and finally decided to watch it and the new one back to back, and couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about.
I have feelings about Top Gun. I didn't see it when it came out, though it was popular with my (teen) cohort because of the Tom Cruise of it all. I was a teenage peace activist in the Reagan "Evil Empire" '80s, so stayed away from the military rah-rah on principle. I wouldn't have seen it but for a film class I took in college, and *shrug*.
Right?
I don't like The Goonies either. I dunno. It's not for me either.
I watched Raiders a few years ago with my daughter and thought it held up pretty well. Also it's still legit terrifying when the faces melt. Very good special effects.
I watched Raiders with my kids recently and loved seeing it again through their eyes, but I did tell them not to look when the faces melted.
The Betty Crocker book does *seem* cute, but it's giving Widow's Bay episode 4...iykyk
Serve the punch NOW.
I just watched episode 1 of Widow's Bay last night and I am already eager for episode 4, which seems to be universally talked about.
There are dozens of us who hate ET. My mother is STILL disappointed that I can't stand it. I love the 3 OG Indy movies, I think they're brilliant. Close encounters is mid, and Munich is art.
Hook is...a choice lol.
I think Jaws and Jurassic Park are like...so v v good.
Minority Report has moments of brilliance and is an interesting turn for him and I like Bridge of Spies. There were 10s of us that saw it.
.
Betty (Crocker) usually is sensible and that's why I like it. My mom has a cookbook from like the 60s and it's pretty reliable for sensible recipes. Not nearly as cute though!
I've never seen Jaws all the way through. When we were kids, we tried, and that first scene where the kid gets attacked by the shark and starts spurting blood, my sister and I both started screaming and that was that.
Jurassic Park on the other hand, is perfect.
I feel like I saw Jaws under perfect circumstances. On a classic movie cruise, with Richard Dreyfuss talking about it (...before he became hella problematic), in a packed theater.
It was a delight.
Aw, man. You made me google. There goes Close Encounters for me.
The one I haven't seen is Jurassic Park. Is it worth it? Everyone thinks it is great, but it looks SO cheesy from the trailers. I just feel like my cynical old lady self will not be able to surrender to the fun like a youngster would.
I loved ET. I was 11, and it was the perfect age to see it.
There are 2 of us? I have also never seen Jurassic Park.
I did watch the latest one, because I like Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey, and it wasn't terrible (put that on the side of a bus). I did laugh, because Bailey plays a paleontologist, so they put him in glasses to make him look less hot: it did not work.
I also love ET.
I know. It's like, guys, Jonathan Bailey in glasses is still extemely hot.
Yep.
Jurassic Park is legitimately a perfect summer popcorn movie. It is really really good.
I also rewatched JAWS during the pandemic and I was like...this feels weirdly VERY timely - J
I feel like Jurassic holds up. The score alone is worth it.
Jurassic Park actually has...things to say about ethics and science and dinosaurs.
Jurassic World is...Big Dinosaurs. And Worst Chris. Take that for what it's worth.
Also the effects hold up pretty damn good for being basicallyy 30ish years old for JP. I love it a lot. Like a lot a lot. And the cast is stacked AF - Laura Dern, Richard Attenborough, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L Jackson, BD Wong, Wayne Knight...it's so good.
I'm obviously in the minority, but I saw Jurassic Park on a big screen with big sound when it came out, and I was...bored. I just found it kind of a slog, and while the effects were pretty great for the time, was unmoved.
Last year Jaws was back in theaters for its 50th and I saw it. It was SO GOOD on the big screen. 10/10, no notes, made me sad Jurassic Park wasn’t screened for its 30th (or if it was I missed it).
Also I loved Disclosure Day, but can also see how it would not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Jurassic Park was screened for its 30th! I took my kids and my son brought a friend along who'd never seen it - he loved it. JP is one of my favorite movies.
I will defend Hook till my dying breath. (Unlike Stephen Spielberg.) It's mostly because I had the VHS in my Kid-Kit to babysit (BSC, IYKYK) so the year I was 13 I probably watched it 25 times. But also I genuinely think it's good!!
I love (early-ish) Spielberg, so clearly I'm biased, but I looooooove Hook. It's delightful.
Ru-fi-oooooooo!
Also, someone has to say it: "Disclosure Day" is a terrible name for a movie. I almost don't want to see it BECAUSE of the name. And again, I like Spielberg.
If you ever get the chance to get your mitts on the Betty Crocker Dinner for Two book (the original one with the blue cover!) you will be similarly delighted by the insanely cute illustrations (by none other than Charley Harper). Because I am a huge fan of the 60s illustrated cookbook aesthetic, I’ve grabbed a few of these just to have. Sitting and reading my mom’s Betty Crocker cookbook on the couch, dreaming about all the dishes I’d make when I grew up and got my own apartment, is one of my favorite childhood memories. :)
I also recommend the Betty Crocker cookbook for kids which has much the same vibe, not to mention the July 4 cake that looks like a drum.
Yes, I loved and used that cookbook as a kid! It was published the same year (ahem) I was born.
I didn’t have the BC kids cookbook but I did have a red gingham (Better Homes & Gardens?) junior cookbook which had a recipe for ice cream sundaes! That was a staple in my childhood perusing.
For my own kids I bought a whole collection of kids’ cookbooks. I particularly loved the Julia Donaldson themed cookbooks. My daughter had a mug cake cookbook that honestly taught her more about following a recipe to get a result than any traditional cookbook — she loved getting a kid-sized cake all to herself. :)
My mom got a Betty Crocker Cookbook (the version in a three-ring binder) as a wedding present in 1955, and while she didn't use it all that much, the apple pie with crumble topping recipe is one I make to this day. It's so good, and everyone who has a slice always wants the recipe and is amazed it's a BC recipe. One year for Christmas I got the BC kids cookbook, and I made the sugar cookie recipes for quite a while. BC kind of has a bad rap, but the recipes are solid (if somewhat uninspired).
I agree that Betty Crocker gets a bad rap, but you’re right — they are great basics. For my family, the classic pancakes recipe was a go-to, and my dad also used the Dinette Cake recipe for pineapple upside down cake, and he was famous for his cinnamon rolls, which were also a Betty recipe! (Sweet roll dough, I think.) I still get the dinette cake recipe out and use it as a base for other cakes. And the cooky book is essential for Christmas baking. I have the reprint from about twenty years ago and it’s absolutely a treasured item. :)
We had a few Betty Crocker cookbooks when I was a kid and they were legit. We used them a lot
The Cooky Book is a classic! My mom's was falling apart from so much use, so a few years ago we got her the updated version. I think she still uses the original a lot, if only to refer to the notes made over the years.
What where the sugar cookies like - thin and crisp, soft?
My sister remembers my aunts sugar cookies (thin and crisp) and says she occasionally looks for the recipe.
"Flip through some old wallpaper books for inspiration." Did housewives of yore actually have (multiple?!) wallpaper books lying around?
Often, yes! Or at least both of my grandmothers did when I was a kid. And I think one of my aunts?
I know we had at least one book when I was growing up in the early 1970's.
I never liked ET either so thank you for finally making me feel validated!
I saw "Disclosure Day" last night and I also thought it was mid, although I say that with the caveat that it also involved the absolute worst movie going experience of my life, in which three teenagers yelled, swatted at the person in front of them, ran in and out of the theater, and to top it all off, had conversations on their cellphones with another human while the movie played. It took three of us complaining to the manager, and the couple next to us leaving, before they were finally kicked out. Although I did get to hear "snitches get stitches" in person for the first time since my teaching days, so there's that. All of this is to say that the first third of the movie is a big blur.
I'm a Spielberg fan in the sense that he knows how to make a well-crafted film, and this one was no different. It was just so. damn. long. The plot was also thin, but it just went on forever and ever and ever, and I kept thinking, "When is this movie going to end?" Which is literally what the five-year-old in front of us said during "Return of the King" when it kept fading to black and starting up again. No fade to black here, but it took forever to get to the point, and I agree that I endured it more than enjoyed it. Also, the "hero" characters were all such annoying dingbats that I kept rooting for the bad guys to put them (and us) out of our misery. All in all, it was interesting idea, but it leaned too hard into the "disclosure" element and didn't have enough juice in the journey battery to make up for it.
EDITED: Emily Blunt's accent
I think if she weren't channeling a Girl Friday from the 30s, the accent wouldn't have been so noticeably bad.
-
I actually know who most of the WAGs are because I follow international soccer, and geeze--they all, minus Antonela Roccuzzo, who's looked like herself for the past decade+, have the same face :(. I'll also add that WAG culture in general has become gross, to the point that poor Declan Rice's wife(?), who wasn't really an influencer anyway, had to withdraw from social media because she was bullied for looking like a regular woman and not a contoured model, and had the gall to gain some weight after having a baby. On the other hand, his response was to tell his fans to f-off if they couldn't accept and respect the woman he loved. Go England?
-
Finally. I'm here for the "Common Goal" book club! It was my favorite of the non-Shane/Ilya books, but I still have plenty of notes.
I had a similar experience re: teens at the first showing of Project Hail Mary I went too. Mercifully, no running around, but plenty of phone usage with the screen brightness and texting notifications on full blast, plus roughhousing in the seats. Why, WHY, with movies so expensive these days, would you spend upwards of $15 on something you won't even pay attention to?! Just wait until it comes out on streaming and you can see it for free from the comfort of your own couch.
(Though I'm sure their parents paid for the tickets and dropped them off at the theater to get them out of the house. Sympathies but also if you want a movie to babysit your kids, then you need to teach them how to act right in public. Same goes for libraries, public pools, etc. My friends and I knew better at that age. Anyway, that's my old-person-yells-at-clouds rant for the day. *shakes fist at sky* TEENS!)
Cosigning your review of Disclosure Day, which my husband and I renamed Disappointment Day. I had hoped for much better; was ready for a summer blockbuster experience.
The vintage cookbook reminded me - did y'all ever watch Astronaut Wives Club? It was on ABC 10 years ago and while it wasn't a barn-burner of a show it was entertaining and an absolute joy to watch due to the costumes, decor, and vintage food featured at many of the get-togethers. I think there was a cheeseball porcupine at one point! At the time it sent me down a deep dive into retro recipes and kitchenware that I had a blast remembering.
I watched it! I enjoyed it. I loved how they captured the feel of that era. The book was so fascinating - I highly recommend it.
I watched it and read the book, and enjoyed both. I wish they'd had a few more episodes for the show but they did get a lot of history jammed in there.
Watching it led me to read the book! Both good in different ways.
Yes, we binged it a few years ago. A nice solid series, and the changing costumes and sets as they go through the years were fun to notice. But now I feel like we missed the opportunity to make a cheese ball or a Jell-o salad to eat while watching.
Now I really want to have a re-watch party and have everyone dress up and make vintage appetizers!
I made a throw back recipe this weekend for my son's birthday party - jello poke cake . This was the birthday cake of my youth growing up in the 80s. It couldn't be easier, is light, and served cold. Refreshing for summer. My husband was dubious at first then immediately ate two pieces with a request that I make it again this weekend for Father's Day.
I have not seen Disclosure Day, but will probably wait for streaming. I love a lot of Spielberg - Raiders, ET, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Munich. I'm interested to see where this one falls for me.
I am intrigued by that cake! Off to Google...
It’s so simple. Make a yellow or white box cake in a 9x13 pan. When it’s done, let it cool. Poke holes with a skewer all over. Prepare the jello and pour into the holes. Refrigerate overnight. Frost with cool whip. I use strawberry jello but any kind will work.
ET is the first movie I ever saw in a theater, and I’ll never forget crying my eyes out when it looked like it was curtains for the wrinkly little guy. Maybe it’s due to this early experience, but I really love Steven Spielberg.
I think it was mine, too, and I also remember copious tears.
And later loving the E.T. ride at Universal.
I can just picture it. were you on bikes??
I think so!
I didn’t get to go on it when my sister and I returned to Universal for the first time in maybe 20 years (with her husband and kids) because I had decided to get an airbrush tattoo and the artist really went for it😂
Maybe next time. If anyone’s going, the Mummy ride is FANTASTIC and has a great gift shop.
Same about ET. I was actually only three and a half when I saw it with my babysitter in the theater, but I loved it, and I begged to see it again when the movie ended. We did.
I also SOBBED in ET. I was bereft. I was also really scared of the Feds. (Relatable.) I maybe haven’t seen it since?? I was too little to see it maybe. - J
I have definitely not seen it since the theater, and remember having vaguely positive but not intense feelings about it.
Same and same. And I still have a fondness for Reese's Pieces.
It's genuinely funny in the beginning, and then it takes a real turn. Also even as a little kid I was confused by Peter Coyote's character's whole deal in it, because he always comes off so handsome and reassuring, but then he is also one of the shadowy evil government agents.
One of the adults with their ominous keys! I had this vague feeling that he and the mom were going to fall in love. Maybe he's the one government agent with a heart.
I know I saw ET and I think we even had a VHS, but I have no desire to go back to it. Still love Raiders and Jurassic Park infinitely though.
I also saw it in the theater as a kid and just loved it. I still love it as an adult, and even thought I never cry at movies and I know how it ends, I still get upset during "that" scene.
I adored E.T. — saw it twice in one weekend shortly after it came out because bio father took me while I was visiting him and then mom & dad took me and my siblings (none of them bio dad’s) the day I got home. I sobbed *uncontrollably* both times. I was 13 and a verrrrry emotional type.
I sobbed so hard and my dad whispered "he'll be okay." And I responded "Shut up. No he won't"
If you like the illustrations in that cookbook, you will LOVE the ones in “Mud Pies and Other Recipes” by Marjorie Winslow. I have my mother’s copy and they are the sweetest drawings. The recipes are adorable as well.
Are they filming Only Murders in London? Because that is an extremely British list of actors which makes me excited for the next season!
I love "Mud Pies and Other Recipes"! I tracked down a copy a few years ago and didn't realize just how many of the jokes/dead pan tone for many of the recipes went over my head when I was a kid- a bit like watching the original Muppet Show again now.
Yes, the new season is partially in London. I can’t wait for Oliver’s British name dropping! - J
I hope he finds British dips he likes
oh god, this just made me wonder...what dips do the British have? (apologies to the Brits on here, it just occurred to me it would be a very fun plot point if he had to deal with the lack of dips - not the disappearance of the dips as a character quirk like one season).
I was thinking this too! I feel like the British are less dip-focused as a culture than Americans. (We have a LOT of dips.) - J
I follow someone on Insta who raves about different dips from M & S so maybe they are getting more into them!
Oooh, as someone with an English husband, I sincerely hope they make fun of Marmite. It's more of a spread than a dip, and, in my opinion, revolting. They also have something called Salad Cream, which my MIL uses as salad dressing but Google says can also serve as a dip for fish! Branston Pickle and Pickalilli are sandwich spreads and really delish. May these all feature on the new season!
Dirty mind alert. I'm rather surprised that the "GAY PICNIC" page made it past the editors. Does it not look like the woman in the canoe is giving head?? (while flanked by her two children)
Edited to add: Ah, I just saw Heather's note at the bottom! Thank you!
Yeah, "gay denim" evokes some VERY different images for me than I expect it did pre-Stonewall/pre-Village People etc.
That cast list for OMitB makes me think there's going to be a UK subplot.
Same!
There will be! There was a connection to London made at the end of the last episode, and they’ve been filming there for a while (Meryl and Marty were spotted at a restaurant together).